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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Runner's Fanny Pack

I love to run: its refreshing and satisfying, and the one physical exercise almost everyone is good at. Running is just like walking, only faster. That's all there is to it, and its something you can do by yourself...and its free! Sometimes, I like to carry my phone with me. You never know when a pervert might drive by and say to himself, "Oh look, there's a hunched over, sweat drenched runner moving very slowly. She has a bad case of chub-rub and she's wheezing like a seventy year old man. I'm very attracted to this, maybe I'll pull her into my van."
I've tried stuffing it in my sports bra, but its a little gross and I already look pathetic enough when I run. The last thing I need is rectangle boob. What can I do? I can't run with a purse, and for some silly reason, women's athletic gear is made without pockets. Does every person that runs leave their door unlocked? What are you people doing with your keys?

After much reflection (and never again wanting to see the bus driver's look of horror as I pulled a soggy buss pass out of my sock) the answer came to me: a fanny pack. That's right. Are you laughing? I'm not talking about the floppy, 1990's, senior-bus-to-the-casino version, I have something a little less...awful in mind. I wanted to make a more of a pocket, really. But I like calling it a fanny pack, because that's just funny.

***Side note: when I Google'd 'fanny pack,' Walmart.com popped up, so if you would rather have a traditional version, check there.

Here is my version of the fanny pack for runners:
I made a little pocket from an old t-shirt and sewed a safety pin to each side. It pins to the waistband of running pants and has a snap to keep items from falling out, with an added button (just for looks). Its small enough to cover with a long t-shirt, but to make mine look cool - like one of those bright nylon fanny packs given as prizes for fundraisers in elementary school - I embellished it with some nice stitching.
This thing has changed my running life. I can now take my phone, keys, bus pass (in case I get tired of running) and, of course, money. One of my favorite jogging routes involves running to the Dairy Dip and back, where I sometimes like to stop and enjoy an ice cream cone. Is this project calling your name? If so, please make one and send me pictures...or just wear a regular fanny pack, but please send pictures of that, too.